Environmental Effects Monitoring Research Articles

Fish assemblage monitoring in Alberta’s Ells River: Baseline fish and habitat variability prior to major development

The collection of sentinel fish species for Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) has provided ancillary fish assemblage surveys on several tributaries in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of Alberta, Canada over the last decade. Using available, comparable data we investigated baseline fish assemblage variability along the Ells River, a tributary of the Athabasca River experiencing increasing proximity to natural bitumen deposits and proposed mining development as it approaches confluence with the mainstem Athabasca. Transect-based electrofishing data from four sites surveyed in September 2013, 2014 and 2018 showed significant spatiotemporal variability in assemblages, where spatial variability was greatest in 2013 and temporal variability was observed in assemblages both upstream (2013–2014) and downstream (2014–2018) of proposed development. Habitat assessments in 2018 revealed significant relationships among pH, algae cover and site slope with fish assemblages of the same year. Due to the complementary nature of assemblage surveys, data challenges (changing methodologies, sampling effort, and limited ancillary physiochemical data) have presented limitations to the multivariate approach applied in the study. Moving forward, employing consistent methods for fish collections and fine-scale habitat assessments will improve the ability to correlate assemblage variability with changes in the physical environment. Ultimately, this will aid in developing potential triggers of change that may be attributed to or confound adjacent, expanding Oil Sands activities. These findings will also inform monitoring programs on the use of fish assemblages as indicators of change, potentially providing an alternative to existing biomonitoring approaches in small streams with small fish populations.

Capabilities of an Acoustic Camera to Inform Fish Collision Risk with Current Energy Converter Turbines

A diversified energy portfolio may include marine energy in the form of current energy converters (CECs) such as tidal or in-river turbines. New technology development in the research stage typically requires monitoring for environmental effects. A significant environmental effect of concern for CECs is the risk of moving parts (e.g., turbine blades) colliding with animals such as fishes. CECs are installed in energetic locations in which it is difficult to operate sensors to fulfill monitoring requirements for informing collision risk. Collecting data (i.e., about blade strikes or near-misses) that inform interactions of fishes with CECs is usually attempted using active acoustic sensors or video cameras (VCs). Limitations of low-light conditions or water turbidity that preclude effective use of VCs are overcome by using high-resolution multibeam echosounders (or acoustic cameras (ACs)). We used an AC at two sites to test its ability to detect artificial and real fish targets and determine if strike, near-miss, and near-field behavior could be observed. Interactions with fish and artificial targets with turbines have been documented but strike confirmation with an AC is novel. The first site was in a tidal estuary with a 25 kW turbine and water clarity sufficient to allow VC data to be collected concurrently with AC data showing turbine blade strike on tethered artificial fish targets. The second site was a turbid, debris-laden river with a 5 kW turbine where only AC data were collected due to high water turbidity. Data collection at the second site coincided with downstream Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) smolt migration. Physical fish capture downstream of the turbine was performed with an incline plane trap (IPT) to provide context for the AC observations, by comparing fish catches. Discrimination between debris and fishes in the AC data was not possible, because active movement of fishes was not discernable. Nineteen fishes were released upstream of the turbine to provide known times of possible fish/turbine interactions, but detection was difficult to confirm in the AC data. ACs have been used extensively in past studies to count large migratory fish such as Pacific salmon, but their application for small fish targets has been limited. The results from these two field campaigns demonstrate the ability of ACs to detect targets in turbid water and observe blade strikes, as well as their limitations such as the difficulty of distinguishing small fishes from debris in a high-energy turbid river. Recommendations are presented for future applications associated with CEC device testing.

Environmental Genomics Applications for Environmental Management Activities in the Oil and Gas Industry - State of the Art Review and Future Research Needs

The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) Environmental Genomics Joint Industry Program (JIP) was formed in June 2019. The aim of the JIP is to facilitate the development of guidelines for the application of environmental genomics to support environmental management activities in the oil and gas industry. Towards this goal, a white paper summarizing the state-of-the-art in environmental genomics research and how it may be used to advance technology development opportunities for the oil and gas industry was drafted. More specifically, a series of applications and focus areas of primary interest to oil and gas companies were covered including: baseline assessments; detection of key species; rapid assessment of invasive species; population status and dynamics; monitoring of environmental effects of oil and gas activities; remediation and restoration; sampling design; data analysis and interpretation; community representation; species abundance, distribution and viability; and real-time on-site measurement and analysis. baseline assessments; detection of key species; rapid assessment of invasive species; population status and dynamics; monitoring of environmental effects of oil and gas activities; remediation and restoration; sampling design; data analysis and interpretation; community representation; species abundance, distribution and viability; and real-time on-site measurement and analysis. In addition to the literature review, consultation of professionals from academic, regulatory, and industrial backgrounds with expertise on these topics was conducted. While there was a consensus that the application of environmental genomics has advanced greatly in a short period of time with demonstrable benefit potential, there was acknowledgement that key aspects of best management practices are still lacking. Furthermore, while the majority of regulators interviewed were aware to varying degrees of the methodological limitations which restrict the present use of environmental genomics in regulatory affairs, it transpired that there is considerable appetite and capacity amongst the regulatory community to engage in collaborative research initiatives with the oil and gas industry and academia. Through these academic, regulatory, and industrial consultation, specific environmental genomics study areas and applications requiring further development and refinement were identified. These include: methodological standardization, persistence and dispersal of eDNA; eDNA data integration with various other data types; improvement of reference databases; and refinement of molecular indices. methodological standardization, persistence and dispersal of eDNA; eDNA data integration with various other data types; improvement of reference databases; and refinement of molecular indices. Based on the above and considering the most efficient path to greater regulatory uptake for environmental genomic approaches for the oil and gas industry, the JIP’s recommendation is to pursue a Common-Garden Experiment. Such experiment should seek the involvement and ultimately endorsement from the Regulators marking the path towards wider regulatory acceptance and uptake of eDNA-based approaches.

An Analysis of Selected Oil Spill Case Studies on the Shorelines of Canada

After an oil spill, oil may wash ashore and there is only a short window of opportunity to respond. Analysis of historical incident data is valuable to guide future responses and cleanup practices. This study summarized the oil spill accidents that impacted the Canadian shoreline and analyzed the related information including location, incident characteristics, and shoreline treatment. Major spills due to tanker accidents in Canadian marine waters fortunately have been infrequent. Most of the accidents have happened on Canada’s Pacific coast, accounting for 52% of the total accidents recorded. The Atlantic coast accounted for 39% and the remaining accidents happened in the Arctic region. Regarding spilled volume, 55% of the accidents spilled oil volumes smaller than 100 m3. Spilled volumes between 100 ~ 1000 m3 represent 30% of the incidents and 15% had spilled volume greater than 1000 m3. Bunker C fuel and diesel were the main types of the spilled oil, accounting for 33% of the spills, respectively. Within the oil spill accidents impacting Canadian shore- lines, marine vessel accidents were the major sources accounting for 70% of the spill accidents. In terms of the shoreline treatment, the commonly employed treatments were manual, vacuum, mechanical, and sorbent removal. The dataset highlighted the significance of a more comprehensive record for response phase details and environmental effects monitoring.

An Analysis of Selected Oil Spill Case Studies on the Shorelines of Canada

After an oil spill, oil may wash ashore and there is only a short window of opportunity to respond. Analysis of historical incident data is valuable to guide future responses and cleanup practices. This study summarized the oil spill accidents that impacted the Canadian shoreline and analyzed the related information including location, incident characteristics, and shoreline treatment. Major spills due to tanker accidents in Canadian marine waters fortunately have been infrequent. Most of the accidents have happened on Canada’s Pacific coast, accounting for 52% of the total accidents recorded. The Atlantic coast accounted for 39% and the remaining accidents happened in the Arctic region. Regarding spilled volume, 55% of the accidents spilled oil volumes smaller than 100 m3. Spilled volumes between 100 ~ 1000 m3 represent 30% of the incidents and 15% had spilled volume greater than 1000 m3. Bunker C fuel and diesel were the main types of the spilled oil, accounting for 33% of the spills, respectively. Within the oil spill accidents impacting Canadian shore- lines, marine vessel accidents were the major sources accounting for 70% of the spill accidents. In terms of the shoreline treatment, the commonly employed treatments were manual, vacuum, mechanical, and sorbent removal. The dataset highlighted the significance of a more comprehensive record for response phase details and environmental effects monitoring.

Evaluation of Floods and Landslides Triggered by a Meteorological Catastrophe (Ordu, Turkey, August 2018) Using Optical and Radar Data

This study explores the potential of photogrammetric datasets and remote sensing methods for the assessment of a meteorological catastrophe that occurred in Ordu, Turkey in August 2018. During the event, flash floods and several landslides caused losses of lives, evacuation of people from their homes, collapses of infrastructure and large constructions, destruction of agricultural fields, and many other economic losses. The meteorological conditions before and during the flood were analyzed here and compared with long-term records. The flood extent and the landslide susceptibility were investigated by using multisensor and multitemporal data. Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), Sentinel-2 optical data, and aerial photogrammetric datasets were employed for the investigations using machine learning techniques. The changes were assessed both at a local and regional level and evaluated together with available damage reports. The analysis of the rainfall data recorded during the two weeks before the floods and landslides in heavily affected regions shows that the rainfall continued for consecutive hours with an amount of up to 68 mm/hour. The regional level classification results obtained from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data by using the random forest (RF) method exhibit 97% accuracy for the flood class. The landslide susceptibility prediction performance from aerial photogrammetric datasets was 92% represented by the Area Under Curve (AUC) value provided by the RF method. The results presented here show that considering the occurrence frequency and immense damages after such events, the use of novel remote sensing technologies and spatial analysis methods is unavoidable for disaster mitigation efforts and for the monitoring of environmental effects. Although the increasing number of earth observation satellites complemented with airborne imaging sensors is capable of ensuring data collection requirement with diverse spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions, further studies are required to automate the data processing, efficient information extraction, and data fusion and also to increase the accuracy of the results.

Evaluation of Lethal Fish Sampling and the Nonlethal Alternative Under the Canadian Metal and Diamond Mining Environmental Effects Monitoring Program

The Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program, federally mandated to metal and diamond mines and mills in Canada, aims to ensure that fish, fish use, and their environment are sufficiently protected by the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations (MDMER). Concerns have been raised regarding lethal fish sampling conducted for the program and the potential risk to fish populations. This study endeavored to calculate the extent of fish sacrificed during lethal EEM fish surveys to provide a more informed characterization for stakeholders. By extrapolating data from 28 studies conducted at 8 metal mines in Saskatchewan between 2004 and 2017, it was conservatively estimated that 60 060 ± 19 978 fish have been sacrificed for the program nationwide since its promulgation in 2002. This is almost 2 times greater than guidance recommendations due to numerous factors. Challenges faced when implementing the nonlethal fish population survey alternative were also evaluated, and some of these included data interpretation inconsistencies due to the lack of critical effect sizes (CES) included in the regulations for nonlethal effect endpoints, and reliance on capturing young of the year fish to assess the prescribed effect endpoints. Finally, a case study conducted to evaluate the congruity of lethal and nonlethal fish population survey results identified that the effect endpoints often produced conflicting conclusions for the same response variable. Ultimately, this study highlights that in order to strengthen and promote the use of nonlethal fish sampling as an alternate to the current standard of conducting lethal fish population surveys under the EEM program, the effect endpoints, study designs, and adoption of CES need to be thoroughly evaluated and included in the MDMER. If nonlethal sampling designs adequately provide the required data and meet program objectives, then there would be no need to continue sacrificing fish for the Canadian metal and diamond mining EEM program. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;00:1-10. © 2019 SETAC.

A rapid zebrafish embryo behavioral biosensor that is capable of detecting environmental β-blockers

β-Blockers (BB) are one of the most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals used for treating cardiovascular and acute anxiety-related disorders. This class of drugs inhibit β-adrenoceptor signalling and given their growing, widespread use, BB are routinely detected in surface waters at nM concentrations. This is concerning as trace levels of BB impart developmental and reproductive dysfunction in non-target aquatic organisms, with potential for ecological risks. To date, environmental pharmaceutical risks to non-target animals are not part of the monitoring framework due to the lack of bioassays for assessing their biological effects. Behavioral endpoints have the advantage of a systems-level integration of multiple sensory signals and motor responses for toxicity screening; however, they are not currently used for risk assessment of environmental contaminants. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo photomotor response (zfPMR) has been used in high-throughput behavioral screenings for neuroactive drug effects at high, therapeutic concentrations. Our objective here was to examine if we could utilize the zfPMR for screening environmental levels of BB. Embryos were placed into 96-well plates, exposed to chemicals and/or municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE), and their zfPMRs were measured with video-analysis. To specifically target BB, embryos were co-treated with isoproterenol, a β-adrenergic agonist that stimulates the zfPMR, and the inhibition of isoproterenol-induced response was used as a biomarker of BB exposure. Our results reveal that the inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated zfPMRs can be used as a biosensor capable of detecting BB in the parts-per-billion to parts-per-trillion in water samples, including diluted MWWE. The method developed detects BB in spite of the presence of other neuroactive compounds in water samples. This systems level approach of rapid screening for BB effects provides the most promising evidence to date that behavioral neuromodulation can be potentially applied for environmental effects monitoring of pharmaceuticals.

The biology and ecology of slimy sculpin: A recipe for effective environmental monitoring

Recently, the use of small-bodied fish in environmental monitoring has increased, particularly within the Canadian environmental effects monitoring (EEM) and other adaptive programs. Although it is possible to measure changes with many small-bodied species, interpretation is often complicated by the absence of information on the biology and ecology of fish not of commercial, recreational, or traditional interest. Knowing and understanding the basic biology of these fishes aids in the sensitivity of study designs (i.e., ability to detect change) and the interpretation of all biological levels of responses (e.g., cellular to community). The increased use of slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus Richardson, 1836) in impact assessment studies in North America provides a considerable amount of information on life history aspects. The slimy sculpin has the most ubiquitous North American distribution among cottids but yet has a very small home range, thus integrating environmental conditions of localized areas. This paper describes aspects of slimy sculpin life cycle that affect collection efficiency and timing, and describes and provides data collected over more than 10 years of studies at more than 20 reference study sites. This overview provides a functional and informative compilation to support adaptive environmental monitoring and provide a baseline for comparative ecological study.

An Adaptive Environmental Effects Monitoring Framework for Assessing the Influences of Liquid Effluents on Benthos, Water, and Sediments in Aquatic Receiving Environments.

Environmental effects monitoring (EEM) has been traditionally used to evaluate the effects of existing facilities discharging liquid effluents into natural receiving waters in Canada. EEM also has the potential to provide feedback to an ongoing project in an adaptive management context and can inform the design of future projects. EEM, consequently, can and should also be used to test the predictions of effects related to new projects. Despite EEM's potential for widespread applicability, challenges related to the effective implementation of EEM include the use of appropriate study designs and the adoption of tiers for increasing or decreasing monitoring intensity. Herein we describe a template for designing and implementing a 6-tiered EEM program that utilizes information from the project-planning and predevelopment baseline data collection stages to build on forecasts from the initial environmental impact assessment project-design stage and that feeds into an adaptive management process. Movement between the 6 EEM tiers is based on the exceedance of baseline monitoring triggers, forecast triggers, and management triggers at various stages in the EEM process. To distinguish these types of triggers, we review the historical development of numeric and narrative triggers as applied to chemical (water and sediment) and biological (plankton, benthos, fish) endpoints. We also provide an overview of historical study design issues and discuss how the 6 EEM tiers and associated triggers influence the temporal-spatial experimental design options and how the information gained through EEM could be used in an adaptive management context. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:552-566. © 2018 SETAC.

Europe is demolishing its dams to restore ecosystems

Most scientists welcome the dam-removal trend but some call for research into potential ill effects. The growing trend of dam removals calls for monitoring of environmental effects — both good and bad.

Using normal ranges for interpreting results of monitoring and tiering to guide future work: A case study of increasing polycyclic aromatic compounds in lake sediments from the Cold Lake oil sands (Alberta, Canada) described in Korosi et al. (2016)

Since the publishing of the Kelly et al. papers (2009, 2010) describing elevated contaminants in snow near the Alberta oil sands, there has been a significant expansion of monitoring efforts, enhanced by $50M a year contributed by industry to a regional Joint Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM) program. In parallel to the intensification of research and monitoring efforts, including expansion of measured indicators, techniques for chemical analysis have also become more sensitive. Both factors contribute to the increased sensitivity and power, and improve our capacity to detect any change. The increase in capability requires a counterbalance to account for trivial change. This can be done using an interpretative approach that requires contextualization of differences to meaningfully inform environmental monitoring programs and provide focus for action. Experience obtained through 25 years of involvement with Canada's Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program has shown that a tiered program informed by triggers can provide the context to make decisions about monitoring priorities. Here we provide a potential interpretation framework using a case study around the Korosi et al. (2016) study which found recent increases in alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (aPACs) in the Cold Lake in situ oil sands area. Public contaminant profiles from the JOSM studies in the oil sands region are used to evaluate the changes using an interpretation framework based on estimated normal ranges using existing data for site-specific, local and regional (distant) levels that was modelled after the tiered Canadian EEM design.

Cautions on using the Before-After-Control-Impact design in environmental effects monitoring programs

Often the Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design is suggested as being a statistically powerful experimental design in environmental impact studies. If the timing and location of the impact are known and adequate pre-data are collected, the BACI design is considered optimal to help isolate the effect of the development from natural variability. This paper presents 9 years of results from a long-term BACI experiment tested using a range of statistical models and post-impact monitoring designs. To explore suboptimal designs that are often utilized in environmental effects monitoring, the same data were also explored assuming either no control system was available (Before-After only), or that no pre-impact data were available (Control-Impact only). The results of the BACI design were robust to the statistical model used, and the BACI design was able to detect effects from the impact that the two suboptimal designs failed to detect. However, the BACI design demonstrated different conclusions depending on the number and configuration of post-impact years included in the analysis. Our results reinforce the idea that caution should be employed when using, or interpreting results from, a BACI design in an environmental impact study, but demonstrate that a well-designed BACI remains one of the best models for environmental effects monitoring programs.

Body size inequality in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages as a potential method to monitor environmental impacts of transgenic crops

Background and Purpose: Despite the obligatory post-market environmental monitoring of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe, there are no available methodological guidelines or standards. Our aim was to examine the suitability of carabid body size inequality as a possible method for environmental monitoring. Material and Methods: We used carabids collected by pitfall traps in both insect-resistant GM (producing a Bacillus thuringiensis toxin) and isogenic maize plots at Flakkebjerg (Denmark), within the framework of the AMIGA Project. The body size distribution was calculated using various measures of size inequality: the Lorenz curve, the Gini and the Lorenz asymmetry coefficients every month during the summer 2014. Results: A total of 6339 carabids belonging to 38 species were captured and identified. The analysis detected a significant shift in size inequality between months, indicating the larger number of individuals of smaller-sized species later in the season, but no significant difference in inequality or mean body size was found between the assemblages in GM vs. isogenic maize plots. Conclusions: We concluded that the evaluation of body size inequality was sensitive to subtle changes in the structure of the carabid assemblages, and this method had the potential to be used during monitoring of the unanticipated environmental effects of GM plants.

A multidisciplinary approach to assess the health state of heritage structures: The case study of the Church of Monastery of Jerónimos in Lisbon

The preservation and risk mitigation of built cultural heritage require the use of reliable tools which enable to give a better insight into the complex behaviour of these structures, by providing a correct diagnosis of their health conditions, and to identify potential vulnerabilities in order to prevent the risk of damage and to design in advance adequate retrofit solutions. The present paper describes an extensive experimental/numerical investigation campaign carried out on the Church of Monastery of Jerónimos in Lisbon in accordance with an iterative multidisciplinary approach and with the purpose of assessing the health state of one of the most prominent Portuguese monument, in light of future prevention actions. Special stress is given to the diagnostic procedure which includes and details in situ and laboratory testing, dynamic identification, continuous structural health monitoring and analysis of environmental effects on the static and dynamic behaviour of the church. The structural performance of the temple under conditions of gravity loading is analysed as well and potential collapse mechanisms are identified. The results are compared with the actual response of the temple allowing to evaluate its safety level.

Defining the role of omics in assessing ecosystem health: Perspectives from the Canadian environmental monitoring program.

Scientific reviews and studies continue to describe omics technologies as the next generation of tools for environmental monitoring, while cautioning that there are limitations and obstacles to overcome. However, omics has not yet transitioned into national environmental monitoring programs designed to assess ecosystem health. Using the example of the Canadian Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program, the authors describe the steps that would be required for omics technologies to be included in such an established program. These steps include baseline collection of omics endpoints across different species and sites to generate a range of what is biologically normal within a particular ecosystem. Natural individual variability in the omes is not adequately characterized and is often not measured in the field, but is a key component to an environmental monitoring program, to determine the critical effect size or action threshold for management. Omics endpoints must develop a level of standardization, consistency, and rigor that will allow interpretation of the relevance of changes across broader scales. To date, population-level consequences of routinely measured endpoints such as reduced gonad size or intersex in fish is not entirely clear, and the significance of genome-wide molecular, proteome, or metabolic changes on organism or population health is further removed from the levels of ecological change traditionally managed. The present review is not intended to dismiss the idea that omics will play a future role in large-scale environmental monitoring studies, but rather outlines the necessary actions for its inclusion in regulatory monitoring programs focused on assessing ecosystem health.

Reproductive strategies and seasonal changes in the somatic indices of seven small-bodied fishes in Atlantic Canada in relation to study design for environmental effects monitoring.

Small-bodied fishes are more commonly being used in environmental effects monitoring (EEM) studies. There is a lack of understanding of the biological characteristics of many small-bodied species, which hinders study designs for monitoring studies. For example, 72% of fish population surveys in Canada's EEM program for pulp and paper mills that used small-bodied fishes were conducted outside of the reproductive period of the species. This resulted in an inadequate assessment of the EEM program's primary effect endpoint (reproduction) for these studies. The present study examined seasonal changes in liver size, gonad size, and condition in seven freshwater and estuarine small-bodied fishes in Atlantic Canada. These data were used to examine differences in reproductive strategies and patterns of energy storage among species. Female gonadal recrudescence in all seven species began primarily in the 2-month period in the spring before spawning. Male gonadal development was concurrent with females in five species; however, gonadal recrudescence began in the fall in male three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). The spawning period for each species was estimated from the decline in relative ovary size after its seasonal maximum value in spring. The duration of the spawning period reflected the reproductive strategy (single vs multiple spawning) of the species. Optimal sampling periods to assess reproductive impacts in each species were determined based on seasonal changes in ovary size and were identified to be during the prespawning period when gonads are developing and variability in relative gonad size is at a minimum.

Detection of food limitation in health of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) 5 years after the closure of a bleached kraft pulp mill

Recovery of fish after implementing better management of effluent or following the closure of pulp mills is not well studied. Results from existing studies suggest the predominant responses observed during the operation of mills would predict a pathway of recovery, but this hypothesis has not been tested at mills with variable effects on fish. Multiple studies done at a mill in northern Ontario showed variable responses in white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), including effects on reproductive endpoints. Data from most years failed, however, to meet strict definitions of response patterns used in Environmental Effects Monitoring. After the permanent closure of the mill in 2006, white sucker were collected in 2011 to determine the status of fish. We predicted that no effects would be observed in white sucker after the mill's closure. Five years after the closure of the mill, however, female white sucker showed statistical food limitation. Males showed a similar trend, but fewer statistical differences. These changes, coupled with reduced catch rates, have not been previously observed downstream of this mill. Our results suggest that recovery of fish after the closure of mills may not be clearly associated with effects found during operation. The absence of recovery after closure may more broadly suggest relevance of effects of operational mills.

Effects of the Terra Nova offshore oil development on benthic macro-invertebrates over 10 years of development drilling on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada

This paper describes effects of drilling with water and synthetic-based drilling muds on benthic macro-invertebrates over 10 years at the Terra Nova offshore oil development. As such, the paper provides insight on the effects of relatively new synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs), and makes an important contribution to our understanding of the long-term chronic effects of drilling on benthic communities. The Terra Nova Field is located approximately 350km offshore on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland (Canada). Sediment and invertebrate samples were collected in 1997 (baseline) prior to drilling, and subsequently in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Approximately 50 stations were sampled in each year at distances of less than 1 to approximately 20km from drill centres. Summary benthic invertebrate community measures examined were total abundance, biomass, richness, diversity and multivariate measures of community composition based on non-Metric Dimensional Scaling (nMDS). Decreases in abundance, biomass and richness were noted at one station located nearest (0.14km) to a drill centre in some environmental effects monitoring (EEM) years. These decreases coincided with higher levels of tracers of drill muds in sediments (barium and >C10–C21 hydrocarbons). Abundances of selected individual taxa were also examined to help interpret responses when project-related effects on summary measures occurred. Enrichment effects on some tolerant taxa (e.g., the polychaete family Phyllodocidae and the bivalve family Tellinidae) and decreased abundances of sensitive taxa (e.g., the polychaete families Orbiniidae and Paraonidae) were detected to within approximately 1–2km from discharge source. Lagged responses three to five years after drilling started were noted for Phyllodocidae and Tellinidae, suggesting chronic or indirect effects. Overall, results of benthic community analyses at Terra Nova indicate that effects on summary measures of community composition were spatially limited but, as seen elsewhere, some taxa were more sensitive to drilling discharges.

Environmental effects monitoring at the Terra Nova offshore oil development (Newfoundland, Canada): Program design and overview

An environmental effects monitoring (EEM) program was developed by Suncor (formerly Petro-Canada) in 1997/98 to assess effects of the Terra Nova offshore oil and gas development on the receiving environment. The Terra Nova Field is located on the Grand Banks approximately 350km southeast of Newfoundland (Canada), at approximately 100m water depth. The EEM program was developed with guidance from experts in government, academia and elsewhere, and with input from the public. The EEM program proposed by Suncor was accepted by Canadian regulatory agencies and the program was implemented in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, with pre-development sampling in 1997. The program continues to be implemented every two years. EEM includes an assessment of alterations in sediment quality through examination of changes in sediment chemistry, particle size, toxicity and benthic invertebrate community structure. A second component of the program examines potential effects on two species of commercial fishing interest: Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) and American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides). Chemical body burden for these two species is examined and taste tests are performed to assess the presence of taint in edible tissues. Effects on American plaice bioindicators are also examined. A final component of the program assesses potential effects of the Terra Nova development on water quality and examines water column chemistry, chlorophyll concentration and physical properties. The papers presented in this collection focus on effects of drill cuttings and drilling muds on the seafloor environment and, as such, report results on sediment quality and bioaccumulation of drilling mud components in Iceland scallop and American plaice. This paper provides information on drilling discharges, an overview of the physical oceanography at the Terra Nova Field, and an overview of the field program designed to assess environmental effects of drilling at Terra Nova.